Obesity Clinic at Grove Vets Ballymena

Grove Vets hold a FREE obesity clinic for dogs and cats who are overweight. Has your pup overindulged this Christmas, or are you worried that the winter weather means that your pet isn’t getting out as much because of the weather then please consider talking with Grove Vets.

Obesity Clinic at Grove Vets Ballymena

At Grove Vets we hold free of charge weight loss/nurse clinics!

Obesity can be life-threatening and obese pets are more likely to suffer from Diabetes, Heart disease, Arthritis, Lung disorders and Immune dysfunction.

PetMD provides us with more information about pet obesity:

Symptoms

Weight gain

Excess body fat

The inability (or unwillingness) to exercise

An above-ideal score in a body condition assessment

Causes

There are several causes of obesity. It is mosty commonly caused by an imbalance between the energy intake and its usage — eating more than the dog can possibly expend. Obesity also becomes more common in old age because of the normal decrease in a dog’s ability to exercise. Unhealthy eating habits, such as high-calorie foods, an alternating diet, and frequent treats can also bring on this condition.

Diagnosis

Obesity is diagnosed primarily by measuring the dog’s body weight or by scoring its body condition, which involves assessing its body composition. Your veterinarian will do this by examining your dog, palpating its ribs, lumbar area, tail, and head. The results are then compared to the breed standard.

If a dog is obese, it will have an excess body weight of approximately 10 to 15 percent. In the nine-point scoring system, dogs which have a body condition score greater than seven are considered to be obese.